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All Aboard! That will be a call St. Louisans hear once again at Union Station. Owners of the National Historic Landmark announcing plans Thursday to restore excursion train travel as part of the the renewal of Union Station. KTRS' Vicki Pimentel reports from downtown.

"Union Station was built in 1894 and has weathered good times and bad. Once the busiest railway station in the world, it hasn't housed trains in years. But the purchase last summer by Lodging Hospitality Management seem to signal a new era of commitment to this St. Louis treasure.

Bob O'Loughlin  heads up LHM and he's excited about the prospects. "We've had some conversations with the Rams about doing a program with them over to the Kansas City Chiefs preseason game to have fans go over there. We can do Cubs-Cards weekends, we can go to the wine country."

Excursion train travel is expected to be available this Fall. Vicki Pimentel KTRS News"

   SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Springfield and Sangamon County officials have announced an agreement with the state on design work for consolidating train traffic through Illinois' capital city. The effort is part of high-speed rail development.

   The agreement made public Wednesday involves nearly $8.7 million to pay for half of the design work. The project would move rail traffic through the downtown core farther out to a corridor on the city's east side.

   The deal was signed by Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider, Springfield Mayor Michael Houston and Sangamon County Board Chairman Andy Van Meter.

   The project is part of the Chicago-to-St. Louis high-speed rail development. There is no current funding for train traffic consolidation.

   The plan would include new track alignments and separating automobile and train traffic in spots.